The Study Group
''Community revolves around the actions of The Study Group, also known as The Greendale Seven, inside and outside of Greendale Community College. A disbarred lawyer looking to earn a legitimate law degree, Jeff Winger was taking Spanish 101 for a language credit and became attracted to a fellow student he saw there. He learned from another classmate, Abed, that her name was Britta Perry. Pretending to be board certified Spanish tutor, he offered Britta to join a study group he had formed. She agreed, but unknown to him, she asked Abed to come as well. He in turn invited several other members of the Spanish class to the study session: Annie Edison, Troy Barnes, Shirley Bennett, and Pierce Hawthorne. What started out as a fake study group eventually ended up becoming the real thing and quickly turned into a close circle of friends. The study group's first appearance together was in the Season One Pilot. Group history Season One In the study group's first year they are taking Spanish. Over the year we see the strong bonds that form between each of them. Jeff and Britta's flirtation continues. Troy and Abed's friendship start what will become an epic bromance and the beginnings of another possible romance is laid out as another one ends. As their freshmen year continues, the group take on the school bully and his minions, form a chicken finger mafia, participate in the campus destroying first paintball assassination game. The semester concludes with The Tranny Dance where a love triangle ends with a shocking romantic cliffhanger. Season Two In the study group's second year they are taking Anthropology together. Jeff deals with the consequences of his actions at the Tranny Dance which leads repercussions for him throughout this semester. Pierce gets into an accident, breaking his legs. He grows dependent on painkillers and becomes alienated from the study group. His increasingly nasty behavior causes them to exclude him from their activities. The other members of the group secretly took a vote about whether they'd include him in the group next year, and only Annie voted to keep him in; by the end of the semester, the other group members have reconsidered and are willing to let him back in the group, but Pierce claims he's not interested in staying. Season Three The study group's third year at school sees them taking Biology together. Several overlapping storylines take place as Troy is recruited by the Greendale Air Conditioning Repair School, Abed slowly starts losing his grip on reality, Jeff begins therapy to deal with his father issues, Britta declares her major to be psychology, Annie moves out of Dildopolis and into Troy and Abed's apartment, and Pierce and Shirley become business partners. The end of the year concludes with the group being blamed for a cafeteria riot and being expelled from school due to Ben Chang's machinations. Chang takes over the school and the group works together to take his regime down, clear their names and be reinstated at school. Season Four The study group's senior year together at Greendale sees Jeff on track to graduate early, Troy and Britta's relationship slowly progressing, Annie deciding to switch majors, Shirley and Pierce's sandwich shop still in operation and Abed worried about this being the end of the study group's friendship. They are also beset by external obstacles including the returning German exchange students, a tough new History professor, and the return of Ben Chang to the Greendale campus. Season Five After graduating, the study group returns to Greendale when summoned by Abed to join Jeff's ficticious "Save Greendale Committee", which later forms as an official school organization. When they realize that their lives haven't turned out well since leaving, everybody decides to enroll in classes again while Jeff is forced into a teaching position. The study group deals with changes the the makeup of the group; after being banned from campus, Pierce later dies and Troy leaves shortly after his return to Greendale. Professor Buzz Hickey, Ben Chang, and Ian Duncan join the Save Greendale Committee as faculty members. Members Community s2 joe mchale 004 595.jpg|'Jeff Winger, a 35-year-old snarky, glib disbarred lawyer who was looking for an easy degree. He is the de facto leader of the group. He has since graduated but has promised to stay in touch with the study group. |link=Jeff Community s2 gillian jacobs 005 595.jpg|Britta Perry, a 33 year-old feminist who returned to school in order to get her life back on track. She is now a Psychology major and considered the "buzzkill" of the group. She has been romantically linked to both Jeff and Troy.|link=Britta Community s2 alison brie 006 595.jpg|Annie Edison, a 22 year-old straight-laced student and former prescription drug addict. She is the youngest and most studious member of the group. She was studying to be a hospital administrator but has now changed her major to forensics. Community s2 donald glover 005 595.jpg|Troy Barnes, a 23 year-old former high school football star quarterback who has renounced his former jock attitude and embraced his nerdy side thanks to his friendship with Abed. He is currently in Greendale's Air Conditioning Repair School. Community s2 danny pudi 007 595.jpg|Abed Nadir, a 24(?) year-old Palestinian/Polish-American pop-culture junkie who aspires to become a director and is currently taking film directing classes. He treats life and the group as if they were part of a sitcom.|link=Abed Community s2 yvette nicole brown 003 595.jpg|Shirley Bennett, a 37 year-old mother of two and a vocal Christian going to school to jump start her brownie business. She now owns a sandwich shop in the school cafeteria with Pierce. Community s2 chevy chase 007 595.jpg|Pierce Hawthorne, a 68 year-old millionaire on a late-in-life voyage of self-discovery. Pierce is considered the most offensive member of the group and has been kicked out a few times. Study group member candidates The following are students who have tried to join the group but have been turned away for one reason or another: Ben Chang After losing his job as a teacher, Chang comes back to Greendale as a student. He joins the group's Anthropology class in hopes of becoming part of the group. He also dances in a contest he signed the group to participate in for five hours, hoping to win a spot in their circle. When the group opens up a slot for a new member, Jeff proposed adding Chang to prevent Annie's candidate (and crush at the time) Rich from joining. With Jeff's help Chang is officially voted in by the group, however, Pierce out of spite for Shirley casting a vote against his choice reveals that she had sex with Chang on the Halloween that no one can remember. Shirley apparently takes back her vote and kicks Chang out of the study room. Buddy Austin An unnoticed student who desperately wanted to join the study group. His erratic and obnoxious behavior caused the group to veto his inclusion. Jeff later had a change of heart and asked the rest of the group to reconsider him. However, after welcoming him into the group he is offered membership into a more exclusive, cooler study group. He quits the Spanish study group and joins them instead. He admits they were just his safety in case he didn't make it into the other group. Rich In the study group's second year, Annie has a crush on Jeff's pottery class rival '''Rich and proposes that he join the study group. The group throws a mixer in the study room inviting other Anthropology classmates to consider any new potential members. Rich is a clear cut favorite due to kettle corn he brought to the party and becomes the reaming candidate along with Chang. Due to Jeff's impressive orating skill the vote is split between the two of them. After being threatened by Pierce to vote for rich, Shirley casts the deciding vote and chooses Chang instead. Quendra An attractive and bubbly blonde student that Jeff pushed as his first alternative to Annie's choice for a new group member Rich. At a mixer held in the study room, Pierce inappropriately propositions her and she leaves before the group could consider her for membership. In desperation, Jeff uses Chang instead as his candidate for study group mebership. Pairings The group often splits up into specific pairings, some are seen more often then others. Gillianjoelmchale271.jpg| Jeff and Britta Snarky, cynical and jaded hipsters who were lovers for a time. 3X17 Promo Photo4.jpg| Troy and Abed The bromance for the ages. |link=Troy and Abed Jeff and Annie.jpg| Jeff and Annie Opposites attract with this good girl/bad boy, May/December relationship. |link=Jeff and Annie Troy and Britta.png| Troy and Britta Former dance partners and lovers now just friends. |link=Troy and Britta Annie-and-abed.png| Annie and Abed Similar control freaks and role playing buddies. |link=Annie and Abed Jeff and Shirley.png| Jeff and Shirley Gossip buddies with a recently discovered shared childhood past which had a profound affect on both of them. |link=Jeff and Shirley Pierce and Shirley.jpg| Shirley and Pierce Business partners and the senior members of the study group. |link=Shirley and Pierce Annie and Britta edit.jpg| Britta and Annie Big sis and little sis.|link=Jeff and Shirley Annie and Pierce.jpg| Pierce and Annie His favorite member of the study group, her favorite oldest member of the study group. |link=Pierce and Annie 4X7 Jeff and Pierce.jpg| Jeff and Pierce Best friends or best enemies? |link=Pierce and Annie Jeff and Abed.jpg| Jeff and Abed The law firm of Seacrest and Slumdog |link=Jeff and Abed Alternate versions of the study group Zombie study group After eating mysterious taco meat that Dean Pelton provided for a Halloween party during the study group's second year at Greendale, all the students are exposed to a quickly spreading contagion whose infection causes them to enter into a "Zombie" like state. Eventually every member of the study group is infected but not before Troy heroically saves them when he reverses the process by lowering the temperature in the building. ''First appearance: "Epidemiology"'' Zombie Jeff.jpg| Zombie Jeff Zombie Shirley.jpg| Zombie Shirley Zombie Abed.jpg| Zombie Abed Zombie Troy.jpg| Zombie Troy Zombie Britta.jpg| Zombie Britta Zombie Pierce.jpg| Zombie Pierce Zombie Annie.jpg| Zombie Annie Christmas toys During the study group's second year, Abed suffers a mental breakdown around Christmas time. He imagines the world has become stop-motion animated just like the Christmas movies he used to watch with his mother when he was a kid. The rest of the study group along with Professor Ian Duncan have a special therapy session together in order to get to the root of his mania. While helping him through this he re-imagines the group as Christmas cartoon characters. ''First appearance: "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas"'' Christmas_abed.jpg| Abed Jeff in the box.jpg| Jeff-in-the-box |link=Jeff-in-the-box Baby Shirley.jpg| Baby Doll Shirley |link=Baby Doll Shirley BallerAnnie.jpg| Ballerannie |link=Ballerannie Troy Soldier.png| Troy Soldier |link=Troy Soldier Britta Bot.jpg| Britta Bot |link=Britta Bot Teddy Pierce.png| Teddy Pierce |link=Teddy Pierce "Jeff Winger in...An Important Lesson" During the study group's second year, the Dean created a cartoon which retold an incident where he tried to play peacemaker when the study group got into a heated argument amongst themselves. After being mocked by Jeff for wearing so many costumes, Pelton left the library only to be struck by a truck filled with toxic waste. The payload spilled onto him transforming Pelton into "Mega Dean" and he returned to the study room and to exact revenge on the group for having insulted him. "'''First appearance': "Paradigms of Human Memory"'' Deans cartoon jeff.jpg| Jeff Deans cartoon britta.jpg| Britta Deans cartoon abed.jpg| Abed Deans cartoon shirley.jpg| Shirley Deans cartoon annie.jpg| Annie Deans cartoon pierce.jpg| Pierce 2x21-Cartoon_Troy.jpg| Troy 2x21-Cartoon_Dean_Pelton.jpg| Dean Pelton Dean as Mega Dean.jpg| Mega Dean Evil Study Group During the study group's third year, Abed imagines the worst possible outcome for his and Troy's housewarming party. In this scenario, the study group is left in shambles. Abed names this reality "The Darkest Timeline" and spends the year believing his counterpart was trying to cross over into his world. Jeff later revisits the Darkest timeline scenario when he is about to graduate in the study group's fourth year at school. Now equipped with special paintball guns, The Evil Study Group looks to darken other realities as much as their own. "'''First appearance': "Remedial Chaos Theory"'' Sneering Evil Abed.jpg| Evil Abed Reformed evil strategist |link=Evil Abed Evil Jeff.jpg| Evil Jeff Evil leader |link=Evil Jeff Evil Annie.jpg| Evil Annie Evil psycho |link= Evil Britta.jpg| Evil Britta Evil Blue Streak |link=Evil Britta Evil Troy.jpg| Evil Troy Voice of Doom |link=Evil Troy Evil Shirley.jpg| Evil Shirley Evil drunk |link=Evil Shirley Evil Pierce.jpg| Evil Pierce Evil ex-C.E.O |link=Evil Pierce Video game avatars In the study group's third year together at school, Pierce is summoned to a reading of his father Cornelius Hawthorne's will. He is instructed by the executor of his dad's estate, Gilbert Lawson, to bring 7 of his closest friends. He arrives at the meeting with the study group where they learn that in order for Pierce to get his inheritanc they will all have to play a video game called "Journey to the Center of Hawkthorne". Special avatars are created for the group as shown below. ''First appearance: "Digital Estate Planning"'' Hawkthorne Pierce.jpg| Pierce Hawkthorne Jeff.jpg| Jeff Hawkthorne Abed.jpg| Abed Hawkthorne Britta.jpg| Britta Hawkthorne Troy.jpg| Troy Hawkthorne Shirley.jpg| Shirley Hawkthorne Annie.jpg| Annie Greendale Babies In the study group's last year together at school, Abed is in therapy with Britta. She suggests to him that whenever faced with anxiety about the group's last year he goes to a "Happy Place" in his mind. He again imagines fantasy versions of the study group including an animated one based on a classic cartoon show. ''First appearance: "History 101"'' Baby Abed.jpg| Baby Abed Always imagining new adventures for the babies to have Baby Jeff.jpg| Baby Jeff Always seen working out with wieghts Baby Annie.jpg| Baby Annie Always seen playing with crayons Baby Britta.jpg| Baby Britta Always seen pounding a toy police car with a hammer |link=Evil Britta Baby Troy.jpg| Baby Troy Always seen playing with a toy football |link=Evil Troy Cartoon baby Shirley.jpg| Baby Shirley Always seen using the easy bake oven Baby Pierce.jpg| Baby Pierce Always seen obsessing over boobs Category:Season 1 Characters Category:Season 2 Characters Category:Season 3 Characters Category:Jeff Winger Category:Britta Perry Category:Pierce Hawthorne Category:Annie Edison Category:Troy Barnes Category:Abed Nadir Category:Shirley Bennett Category:Community Characters Category:Groups Category:Season 4 Characters Category:Season 5 Characters